Comments on: The Art of the Potluckhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/
Common sense advice on money saving tips, how to get out of debt, high interest savings accounts, cd rates, money market accounts, mortgage rates, money management and more.Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:37:00 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3By: skillethttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-3543443
Mon, 06 Jan 2014 21:48:05 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-3543443Serve in a bowl with a slice of bread and butter on the
side, and make your family do your dishes afterward since you “slaved” over stew on a weeknight.
Imagine how much of your time is saved when you cook a nutritious
meal that does not eat up several hours. A tiny amount of the
oil used during frying will be absorbed by the cast iron skillet, adding seasoning to the skillet and
the unique flavoring that cast iron skillets are famous for.

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]]>By: Jackiehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-220095
Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:56:41 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-220095Where I work, we do a potluck for the combined federal campaign, which is a huge fundraiser. We have people bring their favorite dishes, and there is a contest where the office mates can “vote” by putting in change when they really like a dish. The dish that makes the most money wins bragging rights for the cook, and money is raised for charity. It’s a lot of fun.

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]]>By: Crystalhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219783
Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:21:15 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219783My husband and I are in a board gaming group that meets up about once a month for a potluck/board gaming night. Lately we’ve been hosting it and it’s been a ton of fun.

We provide the main dish and each of our friends bring a side or beverage.

Last weekend we provided chili, rice, and iced tea. Our friends brought the rest of the fixings. Everybody had a great time and we gamed until 2am. It cost us less than $20 and our guests spent anywhere from $3 to $10 on their contributions…since most of our friends are having money issues right now, we are more than fine with the balance!

I’m thinking that next month’s theme will be a frozen pizza party…everybody brings a frozen pizza of their choice and we serve all of them up buffet style. No one should need to spend more than $5 that way…

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]]>By: Not My Motherhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219407
Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:03:06 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219407We have a set of friends we get together with whenever there’s a Formula-1 Grand Prix race on.

The dinner is themed around the country hosting the GP. The hosts provide the main, and everyone else does nibbles, entree (appetiser for US), sides, dessert, and drinks. We have a spreadsheet on google docs where we say if we’re coming and put our names down for each course.

It’s really fun and it gives you a chance to try cooking new things as well.

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]]>By: AMhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219090
Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:13:32 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219090I have been to a ton of potlucks (or whatever you want to call them) in my life. Groups range from 6 families to 60+ families. (Keep in mind that a lot of these families will have 4 to 12 kids.)

Up until about 25 families very little direction is needed in the circles I am talking about. When it gets below 8 families we tend to get nervous and mention the size.

Over 25 families it becomes easier to prepare one main dish and then have people bring salads, deserts, etc. The reason for this is serving line efficiency.

It always amazes me how well balanced the selection is. Very seldom is there an imbalance. But keep in mind, the people I speak of do this thing a lot. My lovely wife and I just came off a 6 month stint being in charge of the potlucks for…

…our Mennonite church!

(Well, Quasi-Mennonite might be more accurate. Most of us have deep roots in the Mennonites and we are still a sorta-kinda-Mennonite church.)

So yeah, this intrigued me.

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]]>By: KShttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219026
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:49:48 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219026I have been hosting potlucks for half of my adult life; I’ve had anywhere from 10 to 50 people. Some things I’ve learned along the way:

1) It’s often easiest if the host provides the main course, esp. for large parties.
2) Soup and chili parties are easy – we borrow some stockpots and/or crockpots to keep things warm – and ask people to bring appetizers, sides, salads, and desserts.
3) Stock up on takeout containers – dollar store, party stores even, have inexpensive ones. I often send leftovers home with poor graduate students :).
4) If someone tells you they’ll be late and asks what to bring, make sure they’re not responsible for stuff people eat early – chips, salsa, dips, etc. Sometimes they show up with what stuff anyway. Oh well.
5) Stock some index cards and pens/markers so people can label their dishes vegetarian, contains nuts, whatever.
6) If people show up with deli containers, transfer the potato salad/coleslaw/whatever to something slightly nicer. It seems to help to get the stuff eaten.

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]]>By: Allan Jacksonhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219013
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:53:37 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219013I love potlucks and having friends over for dinner — typically I’ll just make a main dish and have everyone else bring a side or appetizer. Another fun dinner we had recently was stone soup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_soup Everyone brought an ingredient and we put them all together in a big pot. We also do a Thanksgiving potluck dinner with friends on the Sunday before the real thing.

In addition to food potlucks, you can do other kinds too. One of my favorites is a beer potluck. Everyone brings 6-12 of their favorite beers, and you put all the bottles in one of those little kid swimming pools. Tomorrow one of my friends is hosing a “record party”. It’s basically a music potluck where everyone brings a couple of records over to play.

In general, potlucks are a great way to get together without putting too much of a burden on any one member/couple in the group.

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]]>By: lanehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219008
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:24:19 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219008Congratulations JD. We have a differnt wrinkle on the the potluck idea in my neighborhood. We do periodic progressive dinners. We live within 0.5 miles of each other and walk between houses, usually 3 per evening. So , first house has cocktails and appetizers( which can be potluck), second a main course like soups or chili and breads, then dessert and coffee at the last house. We’ve had up to 30 people participate. The most fun evening was during a blizzard ( this is Maine). A host can ask for help or make the course alone.

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]]>By: Cammy@TippyToeDiethttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-219006
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:05:31 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-219006Thank you so much for mentioning the necessity of arriving with your dish ready to serve! A dear friend used to show up at each event with bags of veggies to chop and dips to assemble, ultimately taking over every countertop and generally destroying the kitchen in the process. Just in time for the guests to arrive. 🙂

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]]>By: April Bhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218991
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:02:09 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218991I would love to do this once a month with my neighbors. A really nice way to build a community as well. 🙂

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]]>By: Sharahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218985
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:54:15 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218985We do an annual potluck at work between Thanksgiving and Xmas for our area with ~20 people. We started the first year I was here and I didn’t realize how much I contributed to starting a ‘tradition’ until this year, which was the best one yet. I don’t do too much organization beyond picking a date and putting out a sign-up sheet. It gets hard to come up with something to bring because it’s got to keep all day long (or the wait for the one microwave winds up an hour long), so we get a number of crock pots bubbling away.

When we set it up we did so in a way that made sense. We bring tables and chairs out into the hallway/common areas and cram in and have a great time. But from what I understand a lot of groups just put out the food and go back to their offices with a plate.

I’ve found it gets easier each time. You know how much food to bring, how to set things up conveniently, what kind of food will just be snatched up, and what kind of food you wind up with a lot of (green chile stew is huge here). People often ask me for recommendations on what to bring and experience really helps.

Another idea I would throw out is encouraging people to form their own sub-groups. Around here two or three people will pick complimentary items: ham and German potato salad, or green chile stew and tortillas.

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]]>By: chacha1http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218975
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:39:46 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218975This can work on a really small scale, too. For several years now DH and I have hosted regular small dinner parties – from just one more couple to six-to-ten people – and our guests always contribute something. The main hot dish can be as simple as chili or chowder. With a salad or dessert contributed by the guests, easy (and inexpensive) for everyone.

The host’s dish should never be something that requires too much attention. Lasagna or paella as someone mentioned above – perfect!

One of the side benefits, for us, to doing something like this regularly is the incentive to get out the good china and actually eat at the dining table, instead of in front of the TV!

We have various kinds of potluck things at work, too. Some I remember are:

* pie contest (with pie described as something sweet with a crust) – no organization is done here except for having the contestants choose a number from a hat with which to label their pie.

* chili cook-off – some people sign up to bring chili (as with the pie contest), and there is a list of other things to bring like cheese, corn chips, drinks, and you can sign up to bring one of these or something else.

* holiday lunch – the sponsor brings a turkey and each person brings something from their heritage

* trick-or-treat – bring Halloween treats while a monster movie is playing in the background

]]>By: Pattyhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218964
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:46:11 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218964Potlucks work great for holidays, too. We do potluck with extended family for Thanksgiving and Christmas so one family isn’t overwhelmed with the responsibility of hosting and cooking everything. I suggested this after spending one Christmas morning and afternoon cooking for everyone else while they enjoyed time with their family! We all have our “specialties” and it ends up being a relaxed, enjoyable time.

]]>By: J.D.http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218949
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:51:23 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218949Thanks to Kris for letting me have this to post this morning. It meant I was able to finally finish the book. I’ve turned in the final chapter to my editor, and now we’ll enter the editing phase, which will last about a month.

If you have a group of 12 people, and *everyone* brings enough food to feed 12 people, you end up with 12 times too much food. 🙂 In other words, don’t bring much more food than you/couple would eat at a meal. If everyone does that than waaaay too much leftovers.

Actually we were once invited to a very fun dessert potluck. That might be nice for Valentines Day. At my husband’s work they hosted a lunchtime chili party. It was a huge success. They used it as a charity fundraiser, but it would be a good alternative to having group lunches out.

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]]>By: Little Househttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218945
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:22:06 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218945Great advice. I went to a holiday party potluck in December, and no one had really organized who was bringing what. We ended up with a lot of desserts! Luckily, a few people brought actual food. I also like your idea of “build a potluck.” Thanks for these tips!

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]]>By: Briannehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218938
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:50:20 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218938This is making me hungry. I’d love to start inviting people over for dinner on a more regular basis, but the cost was a detractor. Potlucks would definitely work.

I have found that establishing a few very “loose” groundrules can help.

Otherwise, you might end up with some pretty wild dishes.

Great post

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]]>By: Chett @5k5k.orghttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218925
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:55:13 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218925In college I met a Hispanic student who was new to the US. Over the course of a few years our friendship grew and he introduced me to many of his friends from the international club who attended the same college as us. We decided to host an international potluck and it is still one of my favorite memories of college. Each person brought a dish native to their country (and a drink of choice if they pleased). My wife and I, in our small 840 sq ft home, had about 25 guests from eight different countries. I even had two of my college professors attend and they loved it. We spilled into the garage, side rooms, and the outdoors discussing food, culture, school, and politics. I grew up pretty closed minded from a rural area and had little knowledge about other countries and their culture. This experience helped me open my eyes to the world around me and realize how few differences we really have with other cultures.

Great post Kris.

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]]>By: Meghttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218922
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:41:32 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218922I love a good potluck! I agree, some organization is necessary to really make it successful. My husband’s coworkers do an annual potluck, and everyone looks forward to it because it’s a way to show off your skills.

If you find yourself always hosting potlucks, maybe you could invest in some extra serving spoons, warmers, etc.

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]]>By: Rikahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218919
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:13:03 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218919What a great topic! Potlucks aren’t common in my part of the world (Japan) but I’m hoping to introduce them to my friends here. I really appreciate reading something like this, that gives me so many ideas.

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]]>By: ami | 40daystochangehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218918
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:10:47 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218918I love this idea, especially when I figured out that ‘potluck’ doesn’t have to mean boring or unlimited casseroles. This week I had a mini-potluck lunch with 3 other ladies. We ate some fantastic home made soup, gorgeous fruit salad (in a crystal bowl, of course), sandwiches and spelt chocolate chip cookies. Yum. I imagine brunch or dessert potlucks could be a fun twist on the idea as well.

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]]>By: EscapeVelocityhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218915
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:58:07 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218915Someone I knew in college once attended a church potluck where there were thirteen kinds of baked beans and nothing else. I went to a potluck once that came pretty close to being all chips and salsa, but I’ve never experienced perfect homogeneity.

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]]>By: Karawynn @ Pocketminthttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218914
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:55:05 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218914I like the idea of the build-your-own (tacos, etc.) where everyone signs up for an ingredient. That allows for a bit more cohesion, while still spreading out the burden of cost and prep.

I was going to explain about a similar tradition I used to have that we called a ‘supper club’, but it ran too long, so I moved it to my blog here.

JD: if you’re like me and most of the writers I know, something about having a cover makes it ‘real’. 🙂 Congratulations!

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]]>By: Bethhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218913
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:52:09 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218913Great post! I usually volunteer to bring a fancy salad. I can buy some greens and cucumber, and then use whatever I have on hand (like raisins, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, frozen peas) to jazz it up.

It’s the dressing that makes the salad, so I have a few good homemade ones to choose from for a potluck.

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]]>By: Leahhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/15/the-art-of-the-potluck/#comment-218911
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:42:40 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=7849#comment-218911Love it! I even hosted occasional potlucks as a high schooler (with my other HS friends, believe it or not). We usually got together once every other week for a big group thing like frisbee and movies. I started out providing all the food but moved to potluck when that got too onerous.

I just moved to a new town, so I don’t have much of a base yet. I look forward to meeting new people so that I can host another potluck!

My advice, if you have a potluck in the park: make sure there are enough grills! I had a fabulous potluck a few years ago with 70 people, and we had more than enough food. However, we did not have enough charcoal nor enough grill space, so the salads and chips went much faster than all the shish-kabob supplies I picked up.